Clamp Safety Lock with Printable Area

ABSTRACT

A safety lock for a clamp closing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the lock comprising a first attachment at a first end thereof, the first attachment being sized and shaped to receive therein a portion of the clamping end, the first attachment abutting the clamping projection to define a maximum travel of the lock along the clamping end toward the locking end and a second attachment at a second end thereof preventing the locking end from moving away from the clamping end.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the priority to the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/957,343, entitled “Clamp Safety Lock with Printable Area,” filed on Aug. 22, 2007. The specification of the above-identified application is incorporated herewith by reference.

BACKGROUND

Catheters are commonly used to supply or withdraw fluids to internal areas of the body. Certain catheters are left in place to provide repeated access for such fluid transfers. In these cases, a proximal end of the catheter which remains accessible outside the body must be sealed between uses to prevent fluids from leaking out and contaminants from entering the body.

Tubing clamps are used with many such catheters having proximal ends located at diverse parts of the body. As such catheters may be left in place for extended periods, the clamps may be accidentally opened (e.g., by patient activity). This may cause significant problems, such as infection due to foreign contaminants entering the catheter and contamination of external surfaces by bodily fluids.

In addition, because of the many applications for catheters, it is often useful to provide information regarding the specific use of a catheter. As multiple catheters may be used on a patient for different purposes, easily distinguishing the catheters becomes important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the present invention is directed to a safety lock for a clamp closing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the lock comprising a first attachment at a first end thereof, the first attachment being sized and shaped to receive therein a portion of the clamping end, the first attachment abutting the clamping projection to define a maximum travel of the lock along the clamping end toward the locking end and a second attachment at a second end thereof preventing the locking end from moving away from the clamping end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view showing a clamp safety lock according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp safety lock shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the clamp safety lock shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the clamp safety lock according to the invention attached to a clamp;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clamp safety lock and clamp shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the clamp safety lock shown in FIG. 5 shown in the locked position;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the clamp safety lock shown in FIG. 5 shown in the disengaged position;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the clamp safety lock according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the clamp safety lock according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the clamp safety lock according to the invention; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the clamp safety lock according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and to the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The present invention relates to devices for closing the proximal ends of catheters and other medical tubes to prevent leaks and contamination by external materials.

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a safety clamp lock which assures that a clamp on the end of the catheter or other medical conduit remains closed despite forces applied accidentally thereto during normal patient activity. Many catheters have an end cap to prevent a catheter from completely opening when a clamp is accidentally opened. However, these caps are often insufficient to completely isolate the catheter. The safety lock according to the invention prevents the clamp from opening in the first place unless the safety lock has first been disengaged. The exemplary safety lock may be added to a clamp without modifying the clamp itself, thus making it useful for enhancing the utility of a wide range of existing devices.

In addition, the safety lock according to embodiments of the invention comprises at least one display area on which information may be displayed for presentation to a user. For example, a planar display area may be provided on which information may be printed or otherwise displayed. Printed, etched or molded writing, symbols, drawings, etc. may be applied to the display regions of the safety lock. The display regions are preferably oriented so that, when in place on a catheter, they are visible to a person operating the clamp and the safety lock.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a safety lock 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is ergonomically shaped to facilitate grasping by a user for placement on a clamp to lock the clamp so that it can not be opened while the lock 100 is attached thereto as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It is not necessary to modify the conventional clamp in any way to use the safety lock 100, thus increasing its usefulness.

The safety lock 100 comprises an attachment band 102 connected by a body 110 to a engagement face 106 extending therefrom. The attachment band 102 forms a first attachment point to the clamp 150 and has dimensions sufficient to allow a locking end 152 of the clamp 150 to be inserted therethrough until the lock 100 is in place. For example, the locking end 152 is threaded through the attachment band 102, until a clamping protrusion 156 abuts the attachment band 102. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, the locking end 152 is designed to engage a clamping end 154 to retain the clamp 150 in a closed configuration over a catheter or other medical conduit which extends through an opening 160 with the clamping protrusion 156 locking the locking end 152 in the closed position. In this position, the attachment band 102 is captured by the clamp 150 preventing removal of the safety lock 100 therefrom.

The engagement face 106 of the safety lock 100 limits movement of the locking end 152 when the safety lock 100 is attached to the clamp 150. It also provides a second attachment point of the lock 100 to the clamp 150. More specifically, the engagement face 106 prevents the locking end 152 from moving away from the clamping end 154 preventing disengagement of the locking end 152 form the clamping end 154 while the lock 100 remains in place. The engagement face 106 comprises a protrusion 120 that reaches into the clamp 150 and extends into the slot 158, to secure the position of the safety lock 100. A raised area 108 projects from an end of the protrusion 120 to engage an edge of the slot 158. As this raised area 108 slides over the edge of the slot 158, the user receives tactile feedback providing an alert that the safety lock 100 is in the locked position over the clamp 150 (i.e., to the left in FIG. 4). In the locked position as shown in FIG. 6, the lock 100 covers outer surfaces of the locking end 152 and the clamping end 154 deflecting items which might otherwise engage the end of the locking end 152 out of engagement with the clamping end 154. In one embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 11, the lock 262 is biased so that, when in the locking position, a force is applied between the attachment band 264 and the engagement mechanism 268 drawing the locking end 152 toward the clamping end 154. Alternatively, as would be understood by those skilled in the art, the bias of the lock 262 may be selected to resist flexing of the lock 100 away from the locking position. In the locking position shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 120 engages the slot 158 preventing the engagement face 106 from being rotated counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 7 to expose the locking and clamping ends 152, 154, respectively.

The body 110 comprises planar surfaces and rounded profiles arranged to follow contours of the clamp 150 with an inner surface of the body 110 contoured to lie generally along an outer surface of the clamping protrusion 156 when the safety lock 100 is in the locked position over the clamp 150 while the engagement face 106 lies over and covers the portion of the lock extending from the locking end 152 to the slot 158. The body 110 also comprises geometrical features that facilitate disengaging the lock 100 including, for example, a step 122 providing an abutment surface on the body 110 which a user may engage to push the safety lock 100 (to the right in FIGS. 6 and 7) while pushing the engagement face 106 away from the locking end 152 to disengage the raised area 108. This releases the protrusion 120 from the slot 158 allowing the attachment band 102 to move toward the clamping end 156 until the protrusion 120 clears the slot 158. At this point, the lock 100 is disengaged and the clamp 150 may be opened in the usual manner by pushing the locking end 152 radially outward allowing the locking end 152 to spring free from the clamping end 154 as shown in FIG. 7.

An additional feature of the body 110 may be used to assist in opening the clamp 150 when desired while disengaging the safety lock 100. In the exemplary embodiment, a second step 124 may be formed on the underside of the body 110 which, when engaged on a clamp, faces an upper surface of the clamping end 154 abutting the locking end 152. When the user desires to open the clamp 150, a force is applied to the step 122 to slide the safety lock 100 toward the locking end 152 (to the right in FIG. 6). As the body 110 moves in this direction, the second step 124 abuts the locking end 152 pushing it away from the clamping end 154, helping to disengage the two components. The motion also disengages the safety lock 100 from the clamp 150, as described above.

FIG. 4 shows the safety lock 100 coupled to the clamp 150 in a disengaged position while the clamp 150 is closed and FIG. 6 shows the safety lock 100 fully engaged on the closed clamp 150 while FIG. 7 shows the lock 100 in the disengaged position while the clamp 150 is open. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 and described above, the engaged safety lock 100 is retained on the clamp 150 by the attachment band 102 and by the protrusion 120 which is received within the slot 158. In this configuration, the edge 104 presses inward on or is against the clamping end 154, while the engagement face 106 presses the locking end 152 toward the clamping end 154 keeping the clamping and locking ends 154, 152, respectively, of the clamp 150 engaged with one another. Alternatively, once locked in place on a clamp 150, the lock 100 may be configured so that it cannot be unlocked until a failure point of its structure is severed through the application of a predetermined force. The protrusion 108 may, for example, be in the shape of a barb that will slide in the slot 158 but which cannot be easily removed without deforming the barb. Alternatively as shown in FIG. 11. features 268 may be formed in the shape of a barb so that once the features 268 engage the feature 152 of the clamp 150 the force required to disengage the features 268 therefrom will deform and render unusable the features 268 on the safety lock 262, indicating that the clamp 150 may have been opened.

After the safety lock 100 has been translated to the right into the disengaged position, the clamp 150 may be opened in the usual manner as shown in FIG. 7 and the safety lock 100 may then be removed from the clamp 150. As described above, the opening of the clamp may be made simultaneous with the opening of the lock 100 because, as the lock 100 is moved toward the locking end 152, the protrusion 120 is freed from the slot 158 and the second step 124 displacing the engagement face 106 from the locking end 152 and releasing the locking end 152 from the clamping end 154. In this position only the attachment band 102 retains the safety lock 100 on the clamp 150 and the lock 100 may be removed from the clamp 150 by threading the locking end 152 out of the attachment band 102 in an action reverse that used to engage the two components.

The safety lock 100 is preferably provided with several flat surfaces that may be advantageously used to display graphical information. In the exemplary embodiment, the safety lock 100 comprises two substantially planar display surfaces 112, 114 formed on the body 110. The display surfaces 112 and 114 form a printable area of the safety lock 100, such that graphical information may be printed, etched molded or applied thereon. The graphical information may include, for example, written instructions, warnings, diagrams, drawings, color coding and any other information.

According to the invention, various modifications may be carried out on the safety lock to address specific needs. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, additional printable areas may be provided on the safety lock 200. In this embodiment, two display surfaces 202, 204 corresponding to the display surfaces 112,114 if the lock 100 are arranged on the body 210 of the lock 200 and are supplemented by additional display surfaces 206, 208 oriented along a plane different than that of the display surfaces 202, 204, so that they are visible from different angles.

For example, FIG. 9 shows a safety lock 220 comprising a body 222 having two substantially planar portions 228, 230 joined by a substantially straight segment 232 rather than the curved segment of previously described embodiments. This embodiment may be easier and less expensive to manufacture, among other advantages. For example, the section 232 may be used to display additional communications and/or may act as a spring device maintaining the protrusion 120 engaged with the slot 158. The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9 retains the edge 224 and the second step 226, which in this case ramps gradually away from the portion 230 at an obtuse angle.

As shown in FIG. 10, a lock 240 according to a further exemplary embodiment may be attached to a clamp after the tubing (such as a catheter body) has been placed therethrough. For example, a first end of the safety lock 240 may be connected to a first end the clamp by an engagement face 244 with a protrusion 246 which is received within a slot of the locking end of a clamp, as described above. On the opposite end, the attachment band 102 of the previous embodiments is replaced by a pair of legs 248 with protrusions 250 extending laterally inward therefrom to engage edges of the clamp. The legs 248 and the protrusions 250 allow the lock 240 to be snapped in place over the clamp without having to thread the clamp through a slot as with the attachment band 102. Thus, the lock 240 may be put in place on a clamp which has already been closed around a conduit.

As shown in FIG. 11, a lock 260 according to a further embodiment of the invention includes an alternative mechanism for attaching to the locking end 152 of a clamp 150. The lock 260 includes an attachment band 264 similar to that in the above described embodiments at a first end of a body 262 thereof. The second end of the body 262 includes attachment members 268 extending therefrom for gripping around the locking end of the clamp in a manner similar to the manner in which the legs 248 and the protrusions 250 of the lock 240 grip the clamping end of the clamp. The attachment members may, for example, comprise snaps or detents which pass around the sides of the locking end and lock the lock 240 thereto. If barbs are used, the lock 260 would better keep the clamp closed. If detents are used, the lock 260 would enhance the clamp's ability to remain closed. A feature 268 formed in the shape of a barb may be more easily engaged with the feature 152 of clamp 150 but requires increased force to be disengaged therefrom. If feature 268 is of a rounded shape (detent) the same force would be used to engage and disengage feature 268 to feature 152 of clamp 150. Those skilled in the art will understand that an alternative lock design may employ a first end including legs and protrusions similar to the legs 248 and the protrusions 250 of the lock 240 with a second end as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 11.

The present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, material and arrangement of parts. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments. The specifications and drawings are, therefore, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 

1. A safety lock for a clamp closing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the lock comprising: a first attachment at a first end thereof, the first attachment being sized and shaped to receive therein a portion of the clamping end, the first attachment abutting the clamping projection to define a maximum travel of the lock along the clamping end toward the locking end; and a second attachment at a second end thereof preventing the locking end from moving away from the clamping end.
 2. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a step forming an abutting surface facilitating manual displacement of the projection from the slot to release the lock.
 3. The safety lock according to claim 2, wherein the step is substantially perpendicular to a surface of a portion of the lock adjacent to the first attachment.
 4. The safety lock according to claim 2, wherein the step is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to a surface of a portion of the lock adjacent to the first attachment.
 5. The safety lock according to claim 1, further comprising a first substantially planar surface for displaying graphical information, the substantially planar surface facing away from the clamp when the lock is locked thereto.
 6. The safety lock according to claim 5, further comprising a second substantially planar surface for displaying graphical information wherein the first and second substantially planar surfaces are angled with respect to one another for viewing from different angles.
 7. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment comprises an opening sized to receive therein an open end of the clamp.
 8. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment comprises a projection for gripping a portion of the clamp.
 9. The safety lock according to claim 8, wherein the projection comprises a pair of one of projections and detents.
 10. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the second attachment comprises a projection which, when the lock is locked to a clamp, is received within a corresponding slot formed in the locking end of the clamp.
 11. The safety lock according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement surface protruding laterally from the projection to engage a side wall of the slot.
 12. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the second attachment comprises a projection for gripping a portion of the locking end of the clamp.
 13. The safety lock according to claim 12, wherein the second attachment comprises a pair of one of projections and detents.
 14. A method of closing clamp for sealing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the method comprising: attaching a first attachment of a safety lock over a clamping end of the clamp; closing the clamp over the conduit by engaging the locking end of the clamp with the clamping end thereof; and coupling a second attachment of the safety lock to the locking end of the clamp to retain the clamp closed over the conduit.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first attachment is coupled to the clamping end by threading the locking end of the clamp through an opening in the first attachment and sliding the lock along the clamp to the clamping end.
 16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising pushing a step of the safety lock toward the locking end to disengage the second attachment from the locking end.
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first attachment includes a first opposed pair of one of snaps and detents, further comprising the step of inserting a portion of the clamp between the first pair to lock the clamp to the lock.
 18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second attachment includes a second opposed pair of one of snaps and detents, further comprising the step of inserting a portion of the clamp between the second pair to lock the clamp to the lock.
 19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising inserting a protrusion of the second attachment into a slot of the clamp to secure the lock to the clamp.
 20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying graphical information on a first substantially planar surface of the lock.
 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising displaying graphical information on a second substantially planar surface of the lock, the first and second substantially planar surfaces being angled with respect to one another for viewing from different angles. 